How is Pig Iron Smelted in Submerged Arc Furnace?

Sep. 11, 2025

How is Pig Iron Smelted in Submerged Arc Furnace?cid=6


Submerged arc furnace smelting of pig iron is a process that uses electricity to perform a high-temperature reduction reaction, primarily used to produce pig iron. The process involves heating raw materials such as iron ore, coke, and limestone in a submerged arc furnace, where a chemical reaction occurs at high temperatures to produce molten iron.


SAF smelting of pig iron offers advantages such as high production efficiency and consistent product quality, but it also consumes a high amount of energy. Pig iron is a key raw material in the steel industry, used for steelmaking and other applications. This process is widely used in modern industry and is a crucial step in steel production.


How is Pig Iron Smelted?

Submerged arc furnace smelting of pig iron refers to the process of smelting pig iron or ferroalloys using electric arc heating in a SAF melting furnaces. 

Raw materials are added from the top of the furnace, and heat is provided by an intense electric arc generated by graphite electrodes. 

The ore is reduced and melted at extremely high temperatures, achieving slag-metal separation, resulting in molten metal at the bottom and slag floating at the top. 

This process efficiently reduces iron ore to the target metal component by controlling the current, feed rate, and raw material composition. It offers the advantages of high production efficiency, low energy consumption, and minimal pollution.


Operating Principle of the Pig Iron Furnace

1. Raw Material Addition: Raw materials such as iron ore, flux, and carbonaceous reducing agent are added from the top of the submerged arc furnace.

2. Arc Heating: Current passes through graphite electrodes immersed in the charge, generating a strong arc.

3. Ore Reduction & Melting: The extreme temperatures generated by the strong arc melt and reduce the ore, separating the metal from impurities.

4. Slag-Metal Separation: The molten metal sinks to the bottom of the furnace, while the impurity-laden slag floats above the metal.

5. Discharging: The molten metal at the bottom and the slag at the top are regularly discharged.


Process Features of the SAF Smelting Furnaces

High-Temperature Reduction

Complete reduction is achieved at extremely high temperatures, resulting in high efficiency.

High Production Efficiency

The target metal can be efficiently smelted in a short period of time. 

Low Energy Consumption

Compared to traditional blast furnaces, submerged arc furnaces consume less energy for smelting.

Low Pollution

The submerged arc furnace smelting process has relatively low environmental impact.

Key Control Factors

Current Control

Adjust the current to control the furnace temperature and smelting rate.

Feed Rate

Controls the feed rate to ensure sufficient heating and reduction of the charge.

Raw Material Composition

Adjusts the raw material composition, such as the carbon content of the reducing agent, to influence the quality of the final metal.


Applications

Submerged arc furnace are used not only for smelting pig iron, but also for smelting various other ferroalloys, such as ferrosilicon.

Regarding SAF, EAF, LRF, IF, and other melting furnaces and furnace accessories, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or inquiries.

Sanrui Electric Furnace can provide you with advice, solutions, quotes, and one-stop turnkey projects.

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Submerged Arc Furnace

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VD / VOD Vacuum Refining Furnace

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5 Ton Electric Arc Furnace

The 5 ton electric arc furnace for steel-making is a special purpose equipment that makes ordinary steel, quality carbon steel, alloy steel and non-corrosive steel with electric arc as heat source and scrap steel (iron) as raw material.

15 Ton Electric Arc Furnace

15 Ton Electric Arc Furnace

15-ton electric arc furnace is used for the short-process steelmaking process, using 100% scrap steel or scrap steel + molten iron (pig iron), or scrap steel + sponge iron (DRI) as raw materials for steelmaking.

30 Ton AC Electric Arc Furnace

30 Ton AC Electric Arc Furnace

The 30-ton AC electric arc furnace is used to melt scrap steel to produce steel. Electrical energy is used to melt scrap steel. An arc forms between the charged material and the electrode.

30 Ton Electric Arc Furnace

30 Ton Electric Arc Furnace

30 Ton electric arc furnace is used for steelmaking short process smelting, using 100% scrap steel or scrap steel + molten iron (pig iron), or scrap steel + sponge iron (DRI) as raw materials for steelmaking.

50 Ton Ultra-high Power Electric Arc Furnace

50 Ton Ultra-high Power Electric Arc Furnace

The 50-ton ultra-high power electric arc furnace (50TUPH EAF) adopts ultra-high power, high impedance technology, bottom tapping technology (ETB), furnace wall oxygen oil burner and furnace door carbon-oxygen gun technology.

DC Electric Arc Furnace

DC Electric Arc Furnace

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Electric Arc Furnace

Electric Arc Furnace

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Electric Arc Furnace Steel Making

Electric Arc Furnace Steel Making

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Ultra-high Power Electric Arc Furnace

Ultra-high Power Electric Arc Furnace

Ultra-high power electric arc furnace mainly changes the arc characteristics of high voltage and long arc to the arc characteristics of high current, low voltage and short arc

1 Ton Electric Arc Furnace

1 Ton Electric Arc Furnace

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2×36000KVA Closed Pig Iron Submerged Arc Furnace

2×36000KVA Closed Pig Iron Submerged Arc Furnace

The closed pig iron furnace (submerged arc furnace iron making) is a non-blast furnace iron making method. Under the premise of guaranteeing the power supply, it is easy to solve the problem by using the reducing agent required by the submerged arc furnace iron making.

Ferroalloy Refining Furnace

Ferroalloy Refining Furnace

The main mechanical device design of Sanui ferroalloy refining furnace combines China's national conditions and draws on international advanced technologies such as Demark and Pyremate.

25.5MVA Ferronickel Submerged Arc Furnace

25.5MVA Ferronickel Submerged Arc Furnace

The Ferronickel submerged arc furnace is a special submerged arc furnace used for smelting nickel-iron alloy. Its main function is to add nickel ore, carbonaceous reducing agent (such as coke) and limestone and other raw materials into the furnace in a certain proportion

Ferrosilicon Furnace

Ferrosilicon Furnace

The main mechanical device design of Sanui ferrosilicon furnace combines China's national conditions and draws on international advanced technologies such as Demark and Pyremate.

High Carbon Ferrochrome Furnace

High Carbon Ferrochrome Furnace

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25500KVA Industrial Silicon Submerged Arc Melting Furnace

25500KVA Industrial Silicon Submerged Arc Melting Furnace

Industrial silicon submerged arc furnace is an important equipment in silicon ore processing, playing a key role in the silicon industry.

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Manganese Silicon Alloy Furnace

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Submerged Arc Furnace

Submerged Arc Furnace

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Submerged Electric Arc Furnace

Submerged Electric Arc Furnace

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Titanium Slag Furnace

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LF 20T Ladle Refining Furnace

LF 20T Ladle Refining Furnace

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LF Ladle Refining Furnace

LF Ladle Refining Furnace

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VD Vacuum Refining Furnace

VD Vacuum Refining Furnace

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VOD Vacuum Refining Furnace

VOD Vacuum Refining Furnace

VOD vacuum refining furnace has multiple functions such as vacuum degassing, oxygen blowing decarburization, vacuum charging, argon blowing stirring, non-vacuum temperature measurement sampling, wire feeding, etc.

Cast Steel Melting Induction Furnace

Cast Steel Melting Induction Furnace

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Metal Silicon Smelting Furnace

Metal Silicon Smelting Furnace

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Medium Frequency Induction Furnace

Medium Frequency Induction Furnace

Medium frequency induction furnace mainly used for melting steel, alloy steel, special steel, stainless steel, and can also be used for melting and casting non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminum, lead, zinc, etc. The customized range of induction furnaces sold by Sanrui ranges from 0.1 tons to 10 tons.

Medium Frequency Furnace

Medium Frequency Furnace

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Medium Frequency Aluminum Melting Furnace

Medium Frequency Aluminum Melting Furnace

Medium frequency aluminum melting furnace is used for melting and heating aluminum, scrap aluminum, aluminum ingots, and aluminum alloys; The melting capacity ranges from 100KG to 3000KG.

Induction Furnace

Induction Furnace

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3 Tons Medium Frequency Coreless Induction Furnace

3 Tons Medium Frequency Coreless Induction Furnace

​The 3-ton medium frequency coreless induction furnace adopts a 6-phase 12-pulse double rectifier control system. A 2000KVA special rectifier transformer is used for the 2000KW medium frequency power supply.

Conductive Cross Arm

Conductive Cross Arm

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EAF Charging Basket

EAF Charging Basket

The scrap charging basket of the electric arc furnace is mainly used for loading and conveying raw materials such as scrap steel into the electric arc furnace for smelting.

EAF Electrode Holder

EAF Electrode Holder

There are many insulation links between the EAF electrode holder and the conductive cross arm body, which greatly simplifies the cconductive cross arm structure and is a new type of electrode arm on the ultra-high power arc furnace.

EAF Water Cooled Roof

EAF Water Cooled Roof

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Electrode Lifting Device

Electrode Lifting Device

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Forged Copper Tile

Forged Copper Tile

Forged copper tile is one of the main accessories in submerged arc furnace (silicon metal furnace, calcium carbide furnace and iron alloy furnace). It generates heat energy due to passing through large current at high temperature, and is easy to be damaged due to poor working environment.

Furnace Cover Lifting and Rotating Device

Furnace Cover Lifting and Rotating Device

The furnace cover lifting and rotating device consists of a furnace cover lifting mechanism, a rotating mechanism and a rotating frame.

Submerged Arc Furnace Pressure Ring

Submerged Arc Furnace Pressure Ring

Submerged arc furnace pressure ring is used to monitor the change of air pressure in the furnace in real time, and adjust the air pressure automatically or manually according to the preset parameters to ensure the stability of air pressure in the furnace

Submerged Arc Furnace Water-cooled Roof

Submerged Arc Furnace Water-cooled Roof

Submerged arc furnace water-cooled Roof is an important part of submerged arc furnace (also known as electric arc furnace, calcium carbide furnace or mining furnace), which is mainly used to close the top of furnace body and bear the high temperature and pressure in the furnace.

Short Network

Short Network

Short network bus systems), also known as high current line, refers to the general term of the carrier fluid from the secondary outlet terminal of the transformer to the electrode (including the electrode).

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